Tag Archives: gold mining

Gold mining history is rich with mines that are now abandoned ghost towns. The community of Crown King, Arizona is the site of a former gold mining community. The Crowned King Mine was the largest mine in the Bradshaw Mountains. The first claim made in the area was in 1875. More than 15 additional claims were made in the area over a span of about 40 years.

The Crowned King Mine was one of the most productive gold mining areas of its time. There are reports that $2,000,000 in gold was taken from the mine. That is $2,000,000 in 1899 gold prices which were around $20.67 an ounce. Today, gold is closer to $1700 per ounce, so The Crowned King Mine would have yielded an amazing amount of money at today’s prices.

The first claim in the Crown King group of mines was the Buckeye claim, which was established by Rod McKinnon in July of 1875. The Crowned King Mining Group was formed in January, 1888 by George P. Harrington, Noah Shekels and O.F. Place. Shekels went on to erect a saw mill in May of 1888 to support the gold mining operation.

The town of Crown King sprang up on the road that connected the mine to the saw mill. Railroad service came to the town in 1904 through the Bradshaw Mountain Railroad. At one time, the town had 500 buildings that included company stores, restaurants, a post office and boarding houses. Electricity reached the town in 1897.

The gold mining operations in the area were compromised by disagreements among the original mine developers. The Crowned King Mine was closed down by litigation in January, 1893. The gold mining operation opened again October, 1893 with a limited crew. In 1894, the mine began operating with a full crew. The gold mining operation was successful again but the legal feuds led to the gold mining operation being shut down again in 1899.

There are some buildings that are still in use near The Crowned King Mine. Tourists can visit the Crown King Saloon near the famous mine. The saloon was originally built in a nearby gold mining town called Oro Belle, which is now a ghost town.

Vulture City is a ghost town near Wickenburg in Maricopa County, Arizona. The Vulture Mine was a robust gold mining area during its heyday. The Vulture mine was discovered by Henry Wickenburg in 1863. Vulture City sprang up around the gold mining area. The mine was active from around 1863 through 1942. It produced over 340,000 ounces of gold and a significant amount of silver. The gold mining operation produced over $7,000,000 in gold based on the prices of the time period. The amount would be significantly more at today’s prices.

The town was notorious like most mining towns in that time period. There were many tales of murder, chaos and stagecoach robberies. The superintendent of the gold mining operation was killed during a stagecoach robbery. The Vulture Mine was closed down in 1942 due to World War II. All citizen efforts were supposed to be focused on the war effort instead of gold mining activity. The mine reopened after the war but did not prosper. It closed for good a few years later.

After mining ceased in the area, Vulture City rapidly became a ghost town. However, it is home to a famous legend. It is referred to as the site of the Other Lost Dutchman or Oro Blanco mine. The legend surrounds a gold mining professional of German original who worked around Wickenburg in the 1870s. Supposedly, he mined at night and snuck around to make it impossible for others to find the source of his gold. One night, he left to mine and never came home. Most people assumed he was killed by the Apaches in the area, but human remains were found in 1895 near a small prospect hole. The human remains were found with sacks of gold.

Vulture City is a fun attraction for tourists who are interested in gold mining. There are a variety of buildings that still stand. Tourists can take guided tours of the mine and the remaining structures. Because of its notorious history as a gold mining town, there are legends of paranormal activity in the area. In 2010, The Vulture mine was the subject of a Ghost Adventures episode on the Travel Channel.

There are many modern television shows about gold mining. It’s fascinating to watch the mining process and see the rewards that this work brings. Television shows don’t often show the upfront work that goes into finding and establishing a mine. It is not as simple as setting up equipment and getting to work. Successful miners have to investigate the area, select a promising site, ensure that gold is available on the site and file or buy a mining claim.

If you are considering making an investment in prospecting, you should consider an Arizona gold mine. Prospectors have found untapped sources of gold in many parts of Arizona, including the Bradshaw Mountain Range and the La Paz County area. You can establish a profitable Arizona gold mine if you find an area that shows signs of gold.

There are companies that sell claims that are already established. This is the first step in launching an Arizona gold mine. Claims have been part of the gold mining process since the days of the Gold Rush in the western United States. There is a formal process for establishing a claim according to the Mining Act of 1872. A claim means that you are entitled to the mineral deposits, usually gold, in the land, sand or earth in a particular area. Even if you establish an Arizona gold mine in a claimed area, you do not own the actual land itself. You only own the minerals that you find in the area.

You should only buy a claim on land that has been prospected. This means that you or the company check the land to ensure that there are clear signs of gold in the area. The company should allow you to prospect the land yourself. If they will not, this is a sign that you may be dealing with the wrong claim reseller. An ethical company will always allow you to inspect the area. A good reseller will also assist you with the paperwork you’ll need to do to establish your claim. This can save you a lot of time and hassle during the process of setting up an Arizona gold mine.

Sure, gold mining looks exciting, rewarding, and challenging. But let’s face it, you don’t have the first clue about where to find gold, or how to find a gold mining claim. Well, rest easy. Where there’s a will, there’s a claim…as long as you know where to look!

First thing’s first; you need to know the basics. Any United States citizen can procure a gold mining claim, and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), or equivalent Federal land agency, can help you locate lands available for development of a claim.

You also need to figure out which type of claim you are looking for. Lode claims/sites are those built on known or tested mineral deposits still in their original position in the bedrock. You’ve heard the term, “the mother lode”? This is where it comes from. A placer claim/site is categorized as any deposit, other than a lode, where gold in mixed in with sand and/or gravel. A tunnel site is a plot of land where a tunnel has been dug in order to find or develop a vein or lode (NOTE: These are not actually considered “mining claims,” but more a right-a-way to finding a claim). And finally, a mill site is non-mineral land, usually adjacent to a lode or placer site, where a mill can be built (as part of the lode or placer site). If all else fails and you’re not sure if you want to stake a claim in the area, you can file for a prospecting site. This will expire in two years, and cannot be renewed, but it will give you time to consider, explore, and test the area.

Once you find the right claim, you need to record the claim to make sure A) that you have an actual claim, and B) that the claim is yours to mine. Contact the BLM, and also the County Recording Office, within 90 days of locating your site. They will make sure you file the proper forms (and pay the necessary fees). You will also need to make sure you maintain your claim every year (basically that means more fees). (NOTE: A shortcut to this may be to contract with a claim staking service, but you will still need to pay close attention to all the paperwork and fees. Be sure to read the fine print).

Finding a gold mining claim is a lot of work, and even more paperwork, but at the end of the day, you will feel secure knowing this is your land, and the gold that may be under it is yours, too! And if that doesn’t work, you’ll have all the legal papers to back it up!

There are several types of gold mining claims, but placer claims and lode claims are the most common. Keep in mind that mining laws differ from country to country—even state to state. In general, a gold mining claim grants the discoverer of gold the right to mine on public land in the United States.

Keep in mind that gold found on federal lands requires a federal claim, and state claims may only be staked on state-owned and managed lands. (Federal minerals are managed by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management.) Privately owned land or wild life refuges are not available for mining and any claims made on these lands will be deemed invalid. Other exemptions include National Parks, Indian Reservations, and national monuments.

An important implication in gold mining claims is something called the Prudent Man Rule which was established in 1872 and is still recognized in 19 states. The rule puts forth that any reasonable man would want to invest time and money into mining a valuable discovery, which basically means that U.S. citizens are entitled to prospect for mineral deposits. The gold mining claim, however, does not entitle the prospective miner to own the land or water where his discovery was made, but merely grants the holder with the right to extract valuable minerals within the land claimed.

A gold mining claim staked on federal lands must follow federal rules. Generally, the size of the claim is limited to 20 acres. Procedures for staking the claim include marking the area with a post or a rock at least 3” in diameter and 3” above the ground. The marker must be erected in the northeast corner (known as the “Number 1 corner”) where a location notice must be placed. Three additional markers must be placed at the corresponding corners of the claim and they must be numbered in a clockwise direction.

The location notice that is attached to the number 1 corner should include the name of the claimant or company and the date, describe the claim in square feet and include a description of the area. You should also indicate whether it is a lode or placer claim. A placer claim is for minerals found on the surface. A lode claim indicates the claimant intends to dig for minerals in the ground and create a well or shaft.

Within 45 days, the proper paperwork must be filed with the appropriate government agencies—such as the Bureau of Land Management or the office of the land manager. All filing fees must be paid, with special attention paid to other requirements set forth by the state or country.

Purchasing a gold mining claim can make the process easier, but keep in mind there is only value to someone else’s claim when you can prove there is pay dirt on the property. It’s important to discuss the details of a deal before you start mining. 10% to the owner of the claim is common, with 90% going to the miner.

Gold was the first medal known to man, and it’s easy to see why these shiny nuggets impressed our early ancestors. Its brilliance, pliability, and scarcity continue to make it a powerful commodity throughout the world.

The history of gold mining dates back at least 7000 years, and some of the oldest gold artifacts can be found in the Vama Necropolis in Bulgaria. Gold was the primary source of currency in the Roman era, and it is thought that the Romans were the first to extract gold using hydraulic mining methods.

In our modern era, we’ve come a long way from the gold pans associated with the forty-niners who spent years crouching over streams during the California Gold Rush. Gold mining techniques today include commercial hard rock extraction and various methods of placer mining—which is the mining of gold or gemstones that have moved downstream from their source and are found in deposits of sand and gravel. Placer mining was the coveted method used by miners in gold rush eras, but more sophisticated techniques are used today.

Gold prospecting is the act—or the art—of searching for new gold deposits. Although prospecting is typically a commercial activity, small-scale recreational prospecting for placer gold can be found in operations in countries like South Africa, Canada and the United States. In developing nations like Ecuador, prospecting for placer gold is common with locals who are financially disadvantaged and have access to nearby rivers.

A gold prospector’s first question is “Where can I find gold?” and the iconic age old answer is “Gold is where it is,” which certainly doesn’t narrow down the prospects. With the gold price reaching record levels and anxious prospectors in hot pursuit, the best course of action is to research. And then research some more. The Internet is an obvious source, but don’t overlook libraries where you can discover where mining operations register leases.

Placer gold doesn’t move too far from its source (like quartz lodes or other hard rock sources), so most prospectors are looking for an established source. Geological events—like annual floods—release placer deposits and encourage erosion, so you might want to find a stream close to a hard rock source after spring flooding occurs.

Other good sources to find gold are gravel terraces in modern streams, ancient rivers, or sand beds at the mouth of streams or lakes. For amateurs, sand beds are cited as one of the best sources. And don’t overlook areas that you assume have already been “picked over.” Many prospectors moved on before completely exhausting an area. There still may be gold left to find. Such a discovery was made near Kingman, Arizona in 2010 when several mining claims were staked in area known for old its old mining ventures.

Arizona gold mining claims are becoming very popular among experienced prospectors and people looking for new sources of gold? Why? There are rich mineral deposits in the land in the Arizona area, including the Golden Triangle area and the Vulture Mountain area. Many of these are areas that have been only partially explored even though prospectors have identified potential pockets of gold. That is why Arizona gold mining claims have become more popular in recent years.

There are a variety of Arizona gold mining claims available. Gold mining claims are the standard for claiming the mineral rights on land. The concept of a “gold mining claim” dates back to the United States Gold Rush Era. They were formalized by the General Mining Act of 1872. When you purchase Arizona Gold Mining claims, you are not purchasing a piece of real estate. It is not the same as buying a home or an acre of land. You will not actually own the rocks, dirt or soil. You will, however, have rights to the mineral deposits in the land, including any valuable deposits like gold. Claims have protected miner’s rights for years and will still protect your interests today.

If you invest in Arizona gold mining claims, you can expect to pay for the claim. You may also have to pay an annual maintenance fee on the land. You may also be responsible for annual taxes on the claim. There is some paperwork involved in purchasing the claim. If you buy the claim from company that has already filed the claim, this will cut down on the amount of paperwork you will need to do. They will have already surveyed the land and created a physical description of the claim. This is difficult for anyone who is not an expert to complete.